The Birmingham Post was recommended by a barrister for its advertising, as a legal secretary was awarded more than £6,000 for the loss of her job at the city’s employment tribunal.

When Karen Wakeman, of Stourbridge, told the tribunal she had not been able to find a permanent replacement job in the legal profession, barrister Mr Richard Shepherd asked why she had not bought The Birmingham Post.

Miss Wakeman had been unfairly dismissed from the solicitor’s firm of Talbots of Market Street, Stourbridge, a Birmingham employment tribunal had decided earlier this year.

The latest hearing was held to decide how much compensation she would receive.

Mr Shepherd, representing Talbots, was cross-examining Miss Wakeman over why she had failed to find another job to cut her losses which the firm relied on in an attempt to reduce the amount of compensation they were expected to pay her.

She said she confined her job search to local newspapers in the Stourbridge area. Mr Shepherd replied: “You should have increased your job search to a 25-mile radius and it would have been more reasonable to buy The Birmingham Post.”

Tribunal judge Mr Peter Gilroy also agreed that The Birmingham Post covered a wider area. After Mr Gilroy said the tribunal panel had not been happy with Miss Wakeman’s job search, he awarded her a total of £6,316.

Miss Wakeman had won her compensation claim for unfair dismissal at a tribunal hearing earlier.

Miss Wakeman, who had been described as a perfectionist with 25 years legal experience, said after the latest hearing she was going to hold a double celebration, to mark her birthday and the tribunal decision.